‘Hobbit’ Director Peter Jackson Defends Faster Film Speed

Director Peter Jackson defended his
decision to use new projection technology for “The Hobbit,”
calling it an “experiment” designed to give the 3-D fantasy
film a more realistic look.

“As a filmmaker it’s a joy because it gives a more
immersive, realistic feel,” Jackson, 51, said in a Bloomberg
Television interview. “It’s much more gentle on your eyes. You
don’t get the eyestrain and headaches.”

Some critics have complained that the sharper images
resulting from so-called high-frame-rate projection provide too
much detail and make parts of the movie look fake. Kenneth
Turan, a film critic for the Los Angeles Times, recommended fans
seek out traditional screenings.

The new technology projects images at 48 frames per second,
double the conventional speed. Time Warner Inc. (TWX)’s Warner Bros.,
distributor of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” limited
the number of screens using HFR to test public reaction. Beyond
that question, a survey of critics also showed the film winning
less praise than “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, Jackson’s
Oscar-winning epics based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Jackson and “Avatar” director James Cameron have
championed the new technology, which enables projectors to put
more detailed images on the screen. The HFR version of “The
Hobbit” will be in about 10 percent of the 4,000 theaters that
began showing the movie today, according to the studios.

First Mover

“The Hobbit” is the first film to use the technology.
Cameron has said he plans to shoot “Avatar” sequels using a
higher frame rate. Jackson dismissed news articles that cited
unidentified audience members who claimed the faster projection
made them nauseous.

With ticket inflation and premium prices for 3-D
screenings, the picture will probably have higher first-weekend
ticket sales than the “Rings” predecessors. The previous films
opened midweek, Pandya said.

The film took in $13 million in midnight showings early
today, according to researcher Hollywood.com Box-Office. The
film will likely take in about $75 million over the weekend,
said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Hollywood.com’s box-office
unit. That compares with the $80 million forecast by Ben Mogil,
an analyst with Stifel Nicolaus & Co. He estimates $350 million
in sales for the film’s full theatrical run in the U.S. and
Canada.

Past ‘Rings’

The three “Rings” movies brought in a combined $2.91
billion at the global box office. The first film opened with
$47.2 million in December 2001, according to Box Office Mojo,
another industry website. The best performer was the final
installment, which took in $72.6 million in its December 2003
debut.

The record for a December opening is held by 2007’s “I Am
Legend,” which took in $77.2 million. “Avatar,” the top-
grossing film in history with $760.5 million domestically and
$2.78 billion worldwide, generated $77 million its opening
weekend in 2009.

“The Hobbit” is a joint production of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Inc. (MGMB) and Time Warner’s New Line Cinema, part of the Warner Bros.
division. The companies plan two additional films. Turan, the
Los Angeles Times critic, also complained the story moved too
slow to justify a 2-hour, 50-minute picture.

“The reviews are not as good as for the past ‘Lord of the
Rings’ movies, but on the flip side, you’ve got a dead
marketplace,” Pandya said. “There’s not a lot out there. This
is not only an event film, but it’s the only event film in
town.”

Time Warner, based in New York, rose 0.8 percent to $47.08
at 1:54 p.m. Before today’s trading the stock had gained 29
percent this year. Closely held MGM Holdings Inc. is based in
Beverly Hills, California.